An old adage claims that you can’t buy both the land and the cows and make it work financially.
Anton Hermes and his family are living proof not every axiom should be blindly accepted at face value. Some are meant to be challenged.
Land and cows weren’t even a speck on the horizon for Hermes, growing up in a large family near Elbert, CO. He wasn’t privy to the ranching lifestyle as his father labored in the construction industry, but he was well-informed about the value of hard work. These two entities would eventually intertwine for Hermes in a meaningful way.
“My father was one of the hardest-working people who ever lived, and he passed his work ethic on to me,” Hermes said. “As a young kid, to watch what he did to provide for me, my brothers, and my sisters, it was awe-inspiring and life-changing. This has never left me.”
Hermes’s mother’s side of the family offered the opportunity to pair his growing work ethic with an undeniable love of cattle and horses. From as early as 3 years old, he spent as much time as possible with his grandpa, and later his uncles, riding horses and handling cattle on their Colorado ranch.
“It’s where I grew my passion and love for ranching,” Hermes said. “I knew from the age of 14 that I wanted to own a ranch and have been driven to reach this goal ever since.”
Turning hard work into tangible success
Hermes’s journey to attain this unique purpose, literally from scratch, was propelled by hard work, but also aided by timely assistance along the way. He married his wife, Kathi, 21 years ago, and together they worked large-scale ranches and feedlots until 2011 when they bought their first set of 120 cows, followed by a Stratton, CO, ranch in 2016.
“We were fortunate to have the opportunity to buy some grass and cattle and were blessed with timely markets,” he explained. “You could say, things timed up perfectly. Land prices dipped enough for us to buy, plus we had two lenders favorable to young people getting started in the industry.”
Over the course of 15 years, Hermes Livestock expanded to a home site in Shamrock, two nearby leased ranches holding 15,000 acres of grass, 40,000 acres of grass leased across six counties, a feedyard, 600 commercial cows, 500 stocker yearlings and nearly 500 bred heifers.
“I ran a cattle operation on the side, and Kathi did a lot of books for other outfits,” Hermes said. “We worked our tails off to make it happen. Our kids were a part of this, and now they work as hard as we do. We started from scratch, which is unique in today’s world because of the leveraging it takes to get it done, but it’s been succeeding.”
Building from the ground up
Today, Kathi is very involved with the business and handles the bookkeeping. Their two oldest children are in college: Nicholas on a livestock judging scholarship, studying finance and animal nutrition at Butler Community College in Kansas, while their daughter, Gabrielle, is studying agricultural business in Cheyenne, WY.
Bradley, 16, enjoys team roping, sports and staying active with daily tasks like calving and summer pasture checks. Colten, 14, helps with fencing and calving, and very much enjoys working with all the different ranch animals, while the youngest, Martin, 12, loves running equipment, branding and riding horses. All three younger boys are competitive in 4-H, showing cattle, hogs and goats at national, state and county fairs.
Hermes’ brother, Chad, manages the family’s feedyard and east ranch, while brother Brendan runs his own cow-calf operation and partners on the stocker and yearling outfit, helping provide animal care. Brother Derek owns and operates Hermes Genetics, an on-the-road, reproductive service that custom breeds cattle throughout the tri-state region. He works hand-in-hand with Hermes Genetics and Hermes Livestock on reproductive projects.
The Hermes Livestock home site hosts the calving season, after which pairs are hauled to summer pastures.
“We follow a strict maternal program in our own herd with Hereford and Sim-Angus bulls to create some terminal influences for growth and heterosis,” Hermes said.
The family’s stocker facility includes purchased animals, and the feedyard accommodates backgrounding for summer turnout and an artificial insemination (AI) barn. Recently, they also purchased a feed store in Kirk, CO.
“When it came up for sale, I would think to myself, ‘I wish it could stay open for the community that counts on it,’” Hermes said. “This wishful thinking eventually turned into us making an offer, which was accepted. So, we now own 5K Feed Supply and carry feed, minerals, salts, vaccines and vet equipment. It’s been a perfect fit. At first, Kathi thought I was crazy for taking this on, but now she’s on board and enthusiastic. We’re excited to see how our kids will get involved.”
Creating a core strength
“The bread and butter of our business is our commercial heifers,” Hermes explains. “Over the last 10 years, we’ve developed a niche for sourcing top genetics, especially F1 black baldies, and breeding and selling them to top-tier operations across the country.”
Most of the heifers come from Hermes Livestock AI customers.
“We’re buying the genetics we’ve already helped establish the matings on,” Hermes said. “We AI them in the spring, preg check in the fall, and sell about 80% private treaty right off the grass.”
Usually 150 head, approximately 20%, of the ranch’s top-end heifers are sold at the combined marketing group’s 400-700 total head Hermes Livestock Maternal Merit Sale in Nebraska, the first week in December. A cream of the crop cut of the bred heifers (roughly 120 head) is sent to the National Western Stock Show Maternal Merit Commercial Sale in Denver, which Hermes had a hand in starting. Subsequently, the ranch uses the sale as a yearly showcase event.
“We AI heifers for one cycle, then after 10 days we introduce bulls rigorously sourced for quality from leading seedstock breeders,” Hermes said. “Heifers are cleaned for 45-50 days and ultrasounded at 95-110 days to identify the AI calves, and the second and third cycle bull-bred females.”
Hermes Livestock focuses on F1 black baldies, top-quality black and Red Angus, and highly sought-after red F1 baldies.
“By crossing Angus with Hereford, we enhance heterosis and strive to produce the ideal F1 heifer each cycle,” Hermes said.
Philosophy of improvement
Genetics, EPDs, indexes and genomic testing play a key role in Hermes Livestock’s philosophy of improvement.
“Everything is practical to individual operations,” Hermes said. “Not every strategy suits everyone, but if we can make genetic improvements to help drive returns, that’s where we want to fit in.”
He explains that with advancements in reproductive technology tools, this could be on the maternal side to support longevity, the terminal side to bump weaning and yearling weights, or a general boost in carcass merit to interest feeders on the back end.
“We will better the cow herd in one generation in any segment, and sometimes more than one,” Hermes said. “We can’t advance everything in one generation, but we can make improvements in udders, feet, growth, frame size and more.”
He believes their AI service has thrived because producers see their long-term customers’ satisfaction and want to replicate this in their genetics.
“It’s extremely fulfilling to see how a unique herd has grown to be exactly what the customer wants after we’ve identified their specific goals, then used our AI services for 7 to 10 years to meet them,” he said.
Maintaining an unwavering desire
Driven by his father’s work ethic, Hermes carried his ranching passion through his teenage years to his wedding day.
“When Kathi and I were making our plans for our life together, I promised her by 35 we’d have a ranch and a cow herd,” Hermes said. “On our wedding day, we had almost nothing, less than $100 between us. From that moment, I was committed and had no choice but to back it up.”
Today, his motivation is driven by providing for his children, ensuring they have a strong faith, an earnest desire to work, and a passion to help feed the world.
“It’s one of the most satisfying things about raising cattle,” Hermes said. “We feed more people than any other segment of the world just by producing beef. Carrying this weight and responsibility should get us out of bed each morning.”
While he’s extremely thank to have amassed a large network of commercial, seedstock, retail contacts and trusted friends, it’s ultimately about his family. A happy marriage to Kathi and their five children is his greatest accomplishment.
“Seeing my kids grow up to be productive, faithful members of society and do whatever they choose to do, would be the epitome of gratitude for what we’re trying to achieve,” he said.
Essential advice for aspiring ranchers
“My advice? Make yourself employable by working hard and smart,” Hermes stresses. “The best learning comes from hands-on experience, not books. If you do this, the doors will open wide. Stay motivated, keep your finances in line, and don’t be afraid to get up in the morning. Endless opportunities await in the agricultural world. You may not feel you’re exactly where you belong at a certain moment of your life, but people will notice and be there for you down the road.”
Hermes Livestock has scaled rapidly. Hermes plans to remain in the growth stage for the next five years with a goal of a 1,000-head cow herd, a number he believes can sustain several families as his children put down roots. Additionally, he hopes to continue expanding the heifer development function plus add another feedyard.
“We’re at an all-time high and are blessed to be living in a pivotal moment of the beef industry’s resilient 300-year history,” he said. “While domestic cow numbers are at record lows and the political climate is tumultuous, we must remember we’re riding the shoulders of those before us. It’s a tall task to maintain the greatest beef industry in the world. We shouldn’t take this responsibility lightly. Our market is strong, and opportunities abound. The sky truly is the limit.”
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